Deliquefying means



Jan. l, 1946. E. l.A wxEGAND 2,392,020

DELIQUEFYING MEANS original Filed May le, `1940 2 sheets-sheet 1 MV" m N ATTO QN G Ys Jan. 1946. E, WIEGAND 'DEDIQUEFYING MEANS Original Filed May 16, 1940 2 Sheets-Shee'fI 2 m52@ MM/22M A rroRNaYs Patented Jan. 1, 1946 DELIQUEFYING MEANS Edwin L. Wiegand, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Orefraction Incorporated, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Original application May 16, 1940, Serial No.' 335,561. Divided and this application December 19, 1940, Serial No. 370,860

7 Claims.

This invention relates to means for de-liquefying slurry, that is, for reducing the liquid content of slurry. One use to which the invention may be put is for de-watering slurries in connection with apparatus in which the separation of material particles is accomplished by hydraulic counter-current settling, but the invention is not limited to such use. The principal object of the invention is to provide new and improved deliquefying means of these types. This application is a division of my application Serial Number 335,561, filed May 16, 1940.

In the drawings accompanying this application, there is shown, for purposes of illustration, one form of apparatus embodying the invention and in which water is used for the purpose of separating material particles, and in these drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of this illustrative form of apparatus, some of the parts being broken away,

Figure 2 is a side elevation, on a larger scale, of one of the hydraulic separating means forming part of the apparatus shown in Figure 1, parts being broken away,

Figure 3 is a side elevation, on a larger scale, of a de-watering means forming part of the apparatus shown in Figure 1,

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the discharge end of the de-watering means shown in Figure 3, parts being broken away,

Figure 5 is an elevation of the side of the dewatering means opposite from the side shown in Figure 3,

Figure 6 is a plan view of the de-waterlng means,

Figure rI is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional view, taken on the line 'I-`I of Figure 8, and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure '7.

Referring to Figure 1, the apparatus there lllustrated comprises, in general, two or more, in this instance three hydraulic separating means Illa, IIlb, IIlc, and one or more, in this instance two de-watering means IIa, IIb.

Each of the particular separating means forming part of the apparatus herein shown is designed to operate by that method of hydraulic counter-current separation commonly known as hindered settling, and such hydraulic separating means is disclosed and claimed in my application Serial Number 293,264, filed September 2, 1939.

The hydraulic separating means Illa includes a settling column I2 terminating in an upper margin I3 over which the overage from the hydraulic separating means is adapted to be dis. charged into a launder I4. The launder I4 comprises a generally cylindrical body surrounding and spaced from the settling column I2 and an inclined bottom fastened water-tight to the settling column. The launder I4 is provided with a discharge spout Ilithrough which the overage is discharged.

Feed inlet means in the form of conduit means I6 is provided for feeding material to be sepa'- rated to the `separating column I2 of the hydraulic separating means. f

At the lower end of the settling column I2 provided means for admitting watercomprising a cylindrical jacket I1 within which is disposed a conical member I8 (see Figure 2) merging at its upper end with and joined water-tight to the separating column I2. Water may be supplied to the vspace between `the conical member I8 and the water jacket I1 by conduit means I9 in which may be interposed valvemeans (not shown) The conical member I8 is provided with a desired number of suitably.circumferentially and axially spaced holes 20 whereby water admitted to the water jacket I'I passes into the inside of the conical member I8 and provides an upward current of water subjecting the particles to be separated to hindered settling as is well understood in the art.

The separating column I2'is xedly supported by a plate 2| forming the bottom of the water jacket I'I, the plate 2I -being carried Aby supports 22 fragmentarily shown.

The underage of the separating means Illa passes down into a sump 23 provided with a discharge outlet 24. The sump 23 is connected to the separating means Illa by an extensible and contractible connection in the form of a suitable metallic bellows 25, so that the sump 23 may move up and down with respect to a valve body 25 cooperating with a valve seat 2'I provided on the sump 23. The valve body 26 is mounted on a stationary, adjustable rod 28. The rod 28rextends up through the separating means Illa, and through the conduit means I6, and is supported for longitudinal adjustment by the conduit means I6 A beam 29, supported byV a fulcrum 30, is provided with a weight 3| adjustable*longitudinally of the beam, at one side of the fulcrum 30, and at the other side of the fulcrum the beam engages the sump 23 through a suitable knife edge 32, so that the weightj3| tends to move the sump 23 upwardly whereas the weight of the underage in the sump tends to move the sump downwardly. Consequently the rate of discharge of underage from the outlet 24 is adjusted automatically according to the weight of the undischarged underage.

The overage discharge spout I5 of the separating means, I'a is connected to the ,feedconduit :means I 6 of theseparating means 'I I'Ib vthrough the de-watering means IIa, and the overage discharge spout I5 of the separating means Ilib is connected to the feed conduit means I 6 of the separating means IIlc through the (1e-,watering` means IIb, as will more fully appear.

The de-watering means IIa comprisesl a cham- 1 ber 33 having a downwardly tapering loweringV portion 34. Any suitable means (not shown) may be provided for supporting the yde-wateringl means. l'n the embodiment illustrated the chamber 33 is generally cylindrical and the downwardly tapering lower portion 34 is formed by planerwalls 35 intersecting the cylindrical wall of thecharnber, so as toform a, wedge-like lower portion which is closed at the bottom by a tubular member 36.'V The tubular member 36 is disposed at an angle with respect to the horizontal, about 30 in the illustrated embodiment, but this angle may be any'suitable angle. The plane walls 35 are so constructedV and arranged that their lower margns 31 abut the opposite longitudinal sides of the tubular member 36. The cylindrical wall of the chamber 33 has arcuate recesses, having margins38, formed therein to accommodate the upper surface of the ends of the tubular member 36. The margins 31 and 38 arevsoldered, or otherwise suitably fastened Water-tight to the tubular member36.""`

'The tubular member 36 has an aperture 39 in its v'upper portion, 'within the chamber 33, this aperture'being here shown as formed by cutting away 'the upper semi-cylindrical half of the tubularY member from a point 40 just within the'lowest part of the cylindrical wall ofthe'cham'ber 33 up to a point about halfwayup the"tubular mem# ber 3 6, thus leaving the remaining lower half of the tubular member 38' in the'forn'i yoffa trough portion 42.

The discharge of material from the chamber 33 may beV controlled by any suitable valve means. Inthis instance this control means comprises a gate 43 curved to fit the insideof the lowermost part of the cylindrical wall of the chamber 33, as may be' best seen in Figure 8. The gate 43 is movable up and down and is held in position and guided'by guides 44 suitably fastened tothe inside of the cylindrical wall of the lchamber 33. The lower margin of the gate 43 is formed with angled shoulders 45, Vand with an arcuate portion 46 adapted to iit the inside surface of the arcuate trough portion 42. A part of the arcuate portion 46 maybe out away so thatl when the gate 43 is in the position shown in Figure 7 a small Vpassage 41 stillis'left.'

The gate 43 is adjustable up and down by means of a' lrod 4,'8 flattened at its lower end and suitably fastened "to the gate. The upper end of the rod 48 'is supported by a bracket 49 having apertured arms 56' through which the rod 48 is slid'able, there being a knurled nut 5I disposed between the arms 50 and cooperating with a thread on the upper 'end of the rod 48, so that by turning the Surrounding and spaced from the upper portion of the chamber 33 is a launder 54, braced by braces 66. The launder 54 has a discharge spout 55.

rlhe upper end of the tubular member 36 of the cie-watering means I Ia is shown connected to the overage 4discharge spout I5 of the separating means 18a by'a hose 56 (Figure 1) and the lower end of the tubular member 36 is shown connected to the feed conduit I6 of the separating means lilb by a hose 51. The de-watering means IIb is constructed the same as the de-watering means Ha, and the upper end of the tubular member 36 of the de-watering means IIb is shown connected to the overage discharge spout I5 of the separating means Ib by a hose 58 and the lower end of said tubular member is shown connected to the feed conduit I6 of the separating means `ille by a hose 59'.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows. Theparticles to be separated are fed as a slurry of suitable wetness to the feed conduit I6 ofthe separating means Illa, the amount of water fed to the supply conduit I9 being regulated to thev desired amount. Thereby the particles are subviected to hindered settling, a desired separation being secured. 'Ihe particles which descend into the sump 23 constitute the underage and this underage is discharged at a rate dependent upon the weight of the undischarged underage in the sump 23. The particles which do not descendy into the sump 23 are carried upwardly by the water current in the settling column I2 and are discharged into the launder I4. The overage discharged from the discharge spout'l5 constitutes a slurry containing an undesired excess of water and when this slurry descends through the tubular member 36'and reaches the trough-like por tion 42 excess water rises in the chamber 33 and is discharged over the upper margin of the chainber into the launder 54 from which it is discharged and the amount of ow downwardly in the trough nutt'he'gate 43 may be adjusted lto the desired 42 rand through the opening left by the gate 43. The material discharged from the lower end of the tube 36 is a slurry de-watered to the desired extent, and this slurry is fed to the feed conduit I6 of the separating means 10b. In the separating means Ib the particles fed thereto are subjected to 4hindered settling separation as already described in connection with the separating means Ilia, and the overage discharged from the spout I5 of'the separating means IDb is fed to the de-Watering means IIb and is de-watered as already described in connection with the dewatering means IIa, the de-watered slurry being then fed to the feed conduit I6 of the separating means IIlc wherein the particles fed thereto are subjected to hindered settling separation.

The apparatus disclosed makes it possible to use a desired series of separating means I0a, Ib, Ific allv ofthe same size. Also, the de-watering means IIb may be of the same size as the dewatering means I la.

Once the apparatus has been adjusted, the now of material through the series of alternate separating means and de-watering means is continuous and automatic.V

From the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the illustrated embodiment of the invention provides new and vimproved de'- liquefying means, and accordingly, accomplishes the principal object of the invention. On the other hand, it also will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the illustrated embodiment of the invention may be variously changed and modied, or features thereof, singly or collectively, embodied in other combinations than those illustrated, without departing from the spirit of my invention, or sacricing all of the advantages thereof, and that accordingly, the disclosure herein is illustrative only, and the invention is not limited thereto.

I claim:

1. De-liquefying apparatus, comprising: chamber means having an overflow outlet at an upper level and having a downwardly-tapering lower portion having spaced approximately parallel lower margins extending from an upper level substantially below said overiiow outlet downwardly at an angle to the horizontal; and wall means, providing a bottom for said spaced margins, including a tubular member joined to and extending along said margins, said tubulal` member extending at said angle upwardly beyond the upper level of said margins to provide an inlet portion, said tubular member having an aperture in its upper portion within said chamber means, and having a discharge outlet at its lower end for discharging de-liqueed slurry 2. De-liquefying apparatus, comprising: chamber means having an overflow outlet at an upper level and having a downwardly tapering lower portion having spaced approximately parallel lower margins extending from an upper level substantially below said overilow outlet downwardly at an angle to the horizontal; and wall means, providing a bottom for said spaced margins, including a tubular member joined to and extending along said margins, said tubular member extending at an angle upwardly beyond the upper level of said margins to provide an inlet portion, said tubular member having an aperture in its upper portion within said chamber means, and having a discharge outlet at its lower end for discharging de-liqueed slurry, said aperture extending from approximately the lowest level of said margins to a level substantially below the highest level of said margins.

3. De-liqueiying apparatus, comprising: chamber means having an overow outlet at an upper level and having a downwardly tapering lower portion having spaced approximately parallel lower margins extending from an upper level substantially below said overflow outlet downwardly at an angle to the horizontal; wall means, providing a bottom for said spaced margins, including a tubular member joined to and extending along said margins, said tubular member extending at said angle upwardly beyond the upper level of said margins to provide an inlet portion, said tubular member having an aperture in its upper portion within said chamber means, and having a discharge outlet at its lower end for discharging de-liquefied slurry, said aperture extending from approximately the lowest level of said margins to a level substantially below the` highest level of said margins; and valve means, for controlling the discharge from said discharge outlet, so constructed and arranged that the y amount of said discharge may be adjusted in a range from a maximum discharge to a minimum discharge substantially greater than zero.

4. De-liquefying apparatus, comprising: chamber means having an overow outlet at an upper level, and a downwardly tapering lower portion dening a dihedral angle; wall means providing a bottom for said lower portion, said wall meansv being disposed at an angle to the horizontal and providing a continuously open discharge outlet, for de-liqueed slurry, from said chamber means 5 at a level substantially below said overflow outlet, said overflow outlet and said discharge outlet being so constructed and arranged that the overilow from said overiiow outlet is kept separate from the discharge from said discharge outlet; means for introducing into said chamber means, a'stream of slurry to be de-liqueed, so constructed and arranged that said stream is approximately parallel to said bottom wall means and initially comes into upwardly exposed communication with the inside of said chamber means at a place adjacent said wall means at a level substantially higher than said'discharge outlet but substantially below said overflow outlet and substantially below the highest level of said wall means; and said chamber means being consstructed and arranged to provide a free, unobstructed path for flow of liquid from the upwardly exposed part of said stream to said overflow outlet.

5. De-liquefying apparatus, comprising: chamber means having an overflow outlet at an upper level, and a downwardly tapering lower portion dening a dihedral angle; wall means providing a bottom for said lower portion, said wall means being disposed at an angle to the horizontal and providing a continuously open discharge outlet, for de-lliquefied slurry, from said chamber means at a level substantially below said overflow outlet, said overflow outlet and said discharge outlet being so constructed and arranged that the overow from said overiiow outlet is kept separate from the discharge from said discharge outlet; means for introducing into said chamber means, a stream of slurry to be de-liqueiied, so constructed and arranged that said stream is approximately parallel to said bottom wall means and initially comes into upwardly exposed communication with the inside of said chamber means 4 at a place adjacent said wall means at a level substantially higher than said discharge outlet but substantially below said overflow outlet and substantially below the highest level of said wall means; said chamber means being constructed n and arranged to provide a free, unobstructed path 00 for ow of liquid from the upwardly exposed part of said stream to said overflow outlet; and means for adjusting the size of said discharge outlet from a maximum to a minimum substantially greater than zero.

6. De-liquefying apparatus, comprising: chamber means having an overiiow outlet at an upper level, and having substantially rectilinear bottom wall means disposed at an angle to the horizontal and providing a continuously open discharge out- 60 let, for de-liqueed slurry, from said chamber means at a level substantially below said overflow outlet, said overflow outlet and said discharge outlet being so constructed and arranged that the overiiow from said overflow outlet is kept sep- 50 arate from the discharge from said discharge outlet; means for introducing into said chamber means, a stream of slurry to be de-liqueed, so constructed and arranged that said stream is approximately parallel to said bottom wall means 'Z0 and initially comes into upwardly exposed communication with the inside of said chamber means at a place adjacent said bottom wall means at a level substantially higher than said discharge outlet but substantially below said overflow outlet 75 and substantially below the highest level of said 4 23m-cao r outlet.

Deeiiquefyng apparatus, comprising: 'chamf ber means having an overiow outlet atan upper level,` and having substantially rectilinear bottom wall means disposed at aniangle to the horizontal and providing a continuously .open discharge outlet; for de-lqueed slurry, from said chamber means at a level substantially below said overow outlet; said overflow outlet and said discharge outlet being so constructed and arranged that the overow from said overflow outlet is kept separate from the discharge from said discharge outlet; means for introducing into' said chamber means, a str-'cam of slurry tobe der-liqueed, so' constructed and arranged that said mean ls approximately'parallel toV said bottomwall means and initially comes into upward exposed communication with the inside of said `chamber means ata place adjacent said bottom wall means lat a level substantially higher than said discharge 9111;-, let but substantially below said overflowoutlet and approximately midway between the highest level of said bottom wall means and the .level o! said discharge out1et; and said chamber means being constructed and arranged to provide aree, unobstructed path iur flow of liquid from said exposed part .of said stream to said overflow outlet.

EDWIN L. WIEGAND. 

